The present invention relates to a computer, and more particularly to a computer capable of connecting a function expansion device such as a network card.
In recent years, computers such as laptop personal computers (note PC) increasingly have a wireless LAN function for connecting the apparatuses without employing a cable to construct a network. In the conventional cable LAN, all the apparatuses on the network are physically connected by employing cables, whereby complex wiring is required. Since it is not possible to make a connection to the network from a location without a port installed, some preparation was also needed when using the apparatus at other locations than a fixed location, including copying the data at the time of presentation. However, a wireless LAN enables an organization to build a more flexible office environment, with various restrictions of the wired or cable LAN removed.
The greatest feature of this wireless environment is the capability of communicating the information with other apparatuses without employing wires or cables. There are various kinds of specifications, including “IR (infrared communication)”, “Bluetooth”, and “WiFi”. For example, in effectively utilizing the fast broadband Internet, it is preferable to construct the wireless environment having high communication rates in conformance to “Wi-Fi” based on the international standards IEEE802.11. The IEEE802.11 High-Rate standards are promoted by WECA (Wireless Ethernet Compatibility Alliance) to assure mutual operability between products, in which the product with approved compatibility is marked with a “Wi-Fi” logo. The IEEE802.11 standards include IEEE802.11b using the 2.4 GHz band with a maximum transfer speed of 11 Mbps (Mega bits per second), and IEEE802.11a using the 5 GHz band with a nominal speed of 54 Mbps.
On the other hand, the computer represented by the note PC is able to mount a function expansion card such as a PCI card or a Mini PCI card to expand the memory or make various inputs and outputs such as extending the modem function. The mounting methods include mounting the card on a motherboard (main substrate) of the computer, and fitting it into a slot. For example, in a case where the function expansion card was employed to implement the wireless LAN function, conventionally, the function expansion card itself had an antenna attached, and a controller for the wireless LAN communication within the expansion card along with the antenna was certified with the approval of the FCC (Federal Communications Commission), for example.
However, the antenna that can be provided in the function expansion card is restricted in the arrangement and size of antenna, and difficult to enhance its performance. Thus, some note PCs have a wireless antenna overhung from the liquid crystal panel portion, or contain a high performance antenna in the main body of the note PC employing the peripheral part of the liquid crystal panel portion.
Herein, in gaining the specification approval or certification, it is required that the wireless antenna provided in the main body and the controller are approved integrally. If a communication function is packaged on the main substrate for the note PC, the design is simplest. However, since a wireless LAN is required to have approval from each country it is sold in, a main substrate may potentially be produced differently for each country in order to satisfy each country's requirements, if this function is on-board. Considering configuration flexibility and future expansion needs, it is not preferable to package the wireless LAN controller directly attached on the main substrate. Thus, even when the wireless antenna is employed on the main body, it is preferable to mount the controller not on the main substrate but on a function expansion card using a connector attached to the main substrate.
On the other hand, when the specification approval is obtained in a state where the wireless antenna and the controller are separated, it is necessary to limit the controller mounted in the system of the note PC. That is, since the wireless antenna and the controller are integrally placed under the specification approval, it is not allowed to make communication via the wireless antenna mounted on the note PC in combination with the unapproved controller connected to the system. As a method for preventing unapproved combinations, it is conceived to impose the restriction on the hardware, such as using a unique connector. However, it is difficult to make the connector unique, and clarify “What is unique?”, whereby this method is less valid to prevent the unapproved combinations.
The present invention has been achieved to solve the above-mentioned technical problems, and it is a purpose of the invention to provide a computer with an antenna in which the wireless communication is disabled via a communication controller that is not certified or approved to be used in combination with the antenna.